Council bosses are no longer paying £6,000 a month to a firm that has been trying to get a developer to regenerate part of Nuneaton town centre for SIX years with no luck.

It has been confirmed through a Freedom of Information Act request that Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has ended its relationship with SJI Group Limited, which had been tasked with promoting the much-maligned Upper Abbey Street development since 2011.

This brings to an end the saga which has cost tax payers thousands of pounds as the Town Hall has forked out up to £50,000 to the firm, which failed to attract a developer to the scheme.

What is not known is if the council has taken it upon itself now to find a developer for the Abbey Street regeneration plan or bring in another firm.

The council is only forging ahead the only viable part of the regeneration - the former Co-op car park. (Image: Image courtesy of Google Street maps.)

In a statement, Ian Powell, director of regeneration and public protection at the Town Hall, said: "The council required some external expert assistance in developing its proposals to regenerate the Abbey Street area of Nuneaton town centre.

"SJI were appointed through the council’s commissioning procedures to undertake that work and have been paid for that work. If the council requires further expert assistance on the Abbey Street regeneration project or any other regeneration project in the future, it will make an appropriate appointment through its commissioning procedures to the supplier that offers the best value for money at the time.

"It is not possible to say whether SJI or any other individual supplier will bid for future work or which potential supplier will be successful in securing future work."

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Nuneaton town centre - latest

CoventryLive has previously reported that the council hopes to have a developer on board for the Co-op car park section of the plan by this Christmas but, up to now, there have been no concrete plans revealed about any developer interest in it.

The council has ended its relationship with the firm.

Prior to his retirement, former council leader Dennis Harvey hinted that the council hoped to have some news soon.

Speaking at a full council meeting, he said: “What I can say is that if all proceeds smoothly in the next couple of months, exciting plans can be unveiled for the Abbey Street site."

What would you like to see in Abbey Street? Let us know in the comments below